Carrier for transporting and delivering parcels.



a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED 001". 13, 1903. A. D. SWEGLE.

. w. N Z M 1 INNOQQQ HQ aw A 1% "A y m\ L b. y x 70, I! ,L NW 1APPLICATION FILED JULY 19; 1902.

CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING AND DELIVERING PARCELS.

NOUHODELQ m: NORRIS PETERS co, Pno'mumq, WASHINGTON n c.

No. 741,182. PATENTED 001. 13, 1903.; A. 1). SWEGLE. CARRIER FORTRANSPORTING AND DELIVERING PARCELS.

APPLICATION IIILED JULY 18. 1902.

N0 MODEL, 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2..

THE NURHIS PETERS cu, PN'JTOJJTHUH wnwmmm. n c

PATENTED 00T.13,19'03. Y

A. D. SWEGLE. CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING AND DELIVERING PARCELS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 1B. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Fatented October 13, 1902i;

PATENT Orricn.

ABRAM D. SWEGLE, OF FAYETTE, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DANIEL A.SWEGLE, OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, AND ISAAO L. SWEGLE, OF FAIRVIEW,ILLINOIS; BERTATZ B. SWEGLE ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID DANIEL A. SWEGLE,DECEASED.

CARRIER FOR TRANSPORTING AND DELIVERING PARCELS.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent N 0. 741,182, dated October3, 1903- Application filed July 18, 1902. Serial No. 116,130. (Nomodel.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ABRAM D. SWEGLE, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Fayette, in the county of Howard and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and use 'ful Improvements in Carriers forTransporting and Delivering Parcels, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to acarrier by which a number of parcelsmay be transported from a sending-station and delivered one at a time atdifferent points or stations along the line without stopping the carrierin transit.

The carrying out of the invention contemplates the use of means forsupporting, propelling, and stopping the carrier, and While a suitabletruck, a track-rail supporting it, and an electrical system including amotor and a brake device for propelling and stopping the carrier areshown these features form no part of the invention of this application.They are the subjects of separate applications, bearing Serial Nos.116,128 and 116,129, of even date herewith, and Serial Nos. 142,494 and142,500, respectively, filed February 9, 1903.

The carrying out of the invention also contemplates the use of meanswhereby the car rier without stopping in transit may pick up parcels atdifferent points or stations along the line, and while portions of thiscollecting mechanism are shown in the drawings it is not herein claimed,as it is made the subject of my application of even date, Serial No.116,131.

The invention of the present application is confined to the means forstoring within the carrier a number of parcels and forautomaticallydelivering them as aforesaid. It contemplates an' intermittently-movabledevice for holding the parcels, means for intermittently moving saiddevice, and trips arranged at the various points or stations along theline at which the parcels are to be delivered one at a time, said tripsbeing adapted to cooperate with the parcel-holding device,so that ateach station one parcel is delivered and the parcel intended fordelivery at the next station is brought into position for delivery whensaid station is reached.

I believe myself to be the first to provide a carrier having means foraccomplishing these results, and while I have shown in the drawings themeans which I prefer to use still I desire to have it understood that inits broadest aspect the invention is not limited to minor details in theconstruction of the device.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carrier embodying theinvention, a portion of the track-rail and portions of the stationdevices being also shown. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, themechanism for carrying and delivering the parcels being shown in sectionupon a vertical plane which passes through the longitudinal axisthereof, while the other mechanism is shown in side elevation. Figs. 3and 4 are vertical transverse sections thereof on the lines 3 3 and 4 4,respectively, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 isa vertical section of a portion thereof on the line 5 5, Fig. 3, lookingin the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a view of one of the partsunder a slight modification.

A represents the shell of the carrier, which is supported by the hangersB, depending from the traction-wheels O and O of a truck which ismounted to run upon a supporting track-rail D, the truck being providedalso with guard-Wheels c and 0, adapted to engage the track-rail D. Tothe frame of the truck is fulcrumed alever E,carrying a brakeshoe 6,adapted to contact with friction-surfaces on the wheels O, and anarmature e, arranged in operative relation to a magnet F, which whenenergized causes the brake to be applied in opposition to the force of aspring e, by which the brake is normally held off.

M is a motor by which the carrier is propelled through the medium of asuitable connection with one or more of the tractionwheels. The motorderives its current from a stationarygeneratorG through the medium of. aline-wire G, a trolley G, a wire G and a switch g through which the wireG2 may be completed, the current after leaving the motor being returnedthrough a wire G a sliding'contact G and a wire G With the exception ofthe shell A all the parts above described are preferably constructed andarranged to operate in the mail ner shown and described in myapplication aforesaid. They are shown in this present application simplyfor the purpose of illustrating a complete device; but the invention ofthis application is not limited to their details in construction.

The part of the shell with which the presentinvention is concerned ispreferably cylindrical or approximately cylindrical in crosssection,excepting that at is under side the circular form is departed from andthe walls are deflected downward to form a trough or chute H, which isof somewhat greater length than the shell and extends beyond its frontand rear end walls a and a, respectively. Within the cylindrical orapproximately cylindrical portion of the shell is a revoluble drum I,supported by a shaft 1', which is journaled in the ends a and a of theshell and at its forward end projects a considerable distance, theprojecting port-ion being covered and inclosed by a conical cap A, theforward extremity of the shaft being provided with a hand-wheel i, bywhich the shaft, and consequently the drum, may be manually rotated. Thedrum may consist of aplurality of circular disks 2', secured to theshaft, a plurality of tubular rings or short cylinders t arrangedbetween and secured to the disks, and a plurality of partitions tarranged between the disks and extending from the rings 7. outward tothe peripheries posed in intersecting rows extending both Aslongitudinally and circumferentially. shown in the drawings, the drumhas seventytwo pockets arranged in nine circumferential and eightlongitudinal rows. These pockets are completely open at the periphery ofthe drum, and preferably the longitudinal sides of each of them areparallel with a tangent of the drum,so that as each of the pocketsreaches its lowermost position at the under side of the drum itslongitudinal sides will be vertical. In order to make the pockets ofthis shape, each is separated from the next by a partition of V shape incross-section, and where the drum is made of sheet metal each of thesepartitions may be made by bending strips of sheet metal to V shape, asclearly shown in Fig. 4. The drum may, however, be made of the disks t'"and a number of rods or heavy wire passed through them, so as to lieparallel with the shaft 2', as shown in Fig. 6. In this figure whatconstitutes, in effect, the bottom of each pocket consists of a singlerod or wire t and what constitutes each side of each pocket consists oftwo rods 2' and 1, arranged in a plane parallel with the radius. In thisform each pocket is separated from the next by three of such rodsarranged at the angles of an imaginary triangle.

Of whateverconstruction the drum may be each of the pockets is adaptedto contain an article or a receptacle containing an article to betransported. For the sake of certainty in the operation of the device Iprefer to provide a specially-constructed receptacle I, adapted tooccupy each of the pockets. This receptacle may be in the form of a boxwhich conforms to the shape of the pocket and which fits it sufficientlyclose to prevent its being turned or displaced, but at the same time hassufficient freedom to fall out of the pocket by its own weight when thepocket arrives at a position immediately over the trough or chute H.

That part of the shell which is below the horizontal plane of the shaft2' is concentric with the axis of said shaft, and its radius and theradius of the drum are such that but little space is left between them,so that as the drum revolves the parcels or receptacles on itsdescending side will rest upon the shell and be thereby held in place inthe pockets until reaching a position for delivery into the chute ortrough H, as already described. For this reason each of the receptaclespreferably has a top which is curved to conform to the inner .surfacesof the shell. With a drum and shell thus constructed it is manifest thatas the drum revolves one after an other of the longitudinal rows ofpockets will in succession be brought to a position immediately over andregistering with the top of the trough or chute H. Assuming that thedrum is initially loaded to its full capacity, it follows that thecontents ofall of the pockets of each longitudinal row will under theconditions just described be dropped into the chute. When so dropped,they fall upon an endless conveyer J, which is divided into sectionscorresponding in number and relative location with the circumferentialrows of pockets. This conveyer preferably consists of a chain in thenature of as p'rocket-chain running over the wheels J and J" in thenature of sprocket-wheels, carried by shafts j and j, rotativelysupported by the shell. The chain is provided at proper intervals withprojections 7' which fall opposite the disks 2'" and, as just stated,divide it into sections corresponding with the circumferential rows ofpockets. One of the parcels or receptacles will fall on each of thesesections, and as the sprocket-wheels are rotated in the direction of thearrows placed-upon them all of the parcels or receptacles resting uponthe conveyer will be carried toward the rear end of the chute, said rearend being open at bottom, as shown at H, so that as the parcels orreceptacles are discharged by the conveyer they will fall through saidopening and preferably into a chute K,extending downward from theelevated platform K at the station.

It is the intention to impart to the conveyer an intermittent orstep-by-step movement, the movement at each step being just sufficientto advance the conveyor through a space equal to one of its divisions,so that at each such step a single parcel or receptacle will bedelivered throughthe opening H. For the purpose of producing thisintermittent movement of the conveyer its shaft j carries a pinion L,meshing with a pinion L, keyed to a counter-shaft Z, which countershaftcarries also a ratchet-wheel L engaged by a spring-pressed pawl Lcarried by a lever N, said lever being loosely mounted upon the shaft Z,so as to be capable of oscillating thereon. The lever is held in normalposition by a coiled spring 0, the arrangement being such that thespring produces that movement of the lever which retrieves the pawl andreturns it to normal position. The lever is preferably provided with anantifrictional roller N, adapted to contact with a suitably-fixed triplocated in the line of its travel. This trip is shown in the drawings asconsisting of an incline P, supported by the platform K and so arrangedthat as the carrier advances in the direction of the arrow the roller lwill come in contact with the incline P, and thus the lever N will bemoved, its movement being transmitted to the conveyer through the pawl Lthe ratchet-wheel L the pinions L and L, the shaftj, and thesprocket-wheel J. It will beunderstood that one of these trippinginclines or some other suitable tripping devices is located at eachstation or point along the line at which it is desired to deliver aparcel. As the carrier advancesfrom station to station all the parcelsresting upon the conveyer will be moved toward the delivery end of theconveyor, and the rearmost one will be discharged through the opening IIat each intermittent movement until the last one is delivered. When thistakes place, the drum will have moved to a position to discharge thecontents of another longitudinal row of pockets onto the conveyer. Thismovement of the drum is derived from the lever N through the medium ofthe counter-shaft Z, a beveled pinion Q, carried by it, a second beveledpinion Qhmesh ing therewith and carried by a shaft Q a worm Q carried bythe shaft Q and a wormwheel Q carried by the shaft i. Thistransmitting-gearing is so timed that the movements of the lever Nnecessary to cause the conveyer to discharge its full complement ofparcels will also produce the angular movement of the drum through thenumber of degrees included between radii passing through the centers ofadjacent pockets. As shown in the drawings, the conveyer has provisionfor nine receptacles, so that it takes nine successive intermittentstep-by-step movements to discharge them, While the drum has eightlongitudinal rows of pockets, so that as the nine movements of theconveyer are taking place nine corresponding movements of-the drum willtake place, and these nine movements of the drum will be just sufficientto move it through one-eighth of a revolution.

For the purpose of loading the drum the sides of the shell are providedwith openings covered by doors A extending far enough to give access toall of the nine circumferential rows of pockets. The loading may be donefrom either or both sides, and in order that the drum may be manuallyturned forthe purpose of bringing each of the eight longitudinal rows ofpockets into position for being loaded means are provided fordisconnecting the gearing,already described, through which the drumderives its automatic movement. To this end the lower end of the shaft Qis stopped in a bearing carried by a bracket R, while its upper end isjournaled in a hearing carried bya block R, mounted upon a threadedportion S of a shaft S, which is journaled in brackets S supported bythe shell, so that the shaft is capable of rotary but incapable ofendwise movement, each end of the shaft being provided with a hand-wheelSiby which it may be turned. By thus turning the shaft S in the properdirection the worm Q is moved out of engagement with the wormwheel Q, asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and this leaves the drum free to beturned manually either by seizing it through one of the openings in theside of the shell. or by turning the hand-wheel t" at the end of theshaft 2'.

In order to prevent the parcels from falling out of the pockets of thedrum and onto the conveyer while the drum is being loaded, a valve T isprovided. This valve consists of a segment of a tube of such radius thatit fits snugly between the periphery of the drum and the shell A, and itis carried by hangers T, disposed between the ends of the drum and theends of the shell and suspended from the shaft 1 From this valve curvedrods T which follow the curvature of the shell, extend upward, and therods at opposite ends of the valve are connected by rods T which areaccessible through the openings in the sides of the shell, so that theoperator may manipulate the valve from either side of the carrier. Whenthe loading is completed, the valve is moved out of its operativeposition and into the position in which it is shown in the drawings,leaving the top of the chute open for the reception of the parcels.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of a movable parcelholdingdevice carried by the shell and means for intermittently movingsaid parcelholding device for discharging its contents, said meansincluding trips arranged at differ- ICC IIO

for supporting and propelling it, of a movable.

ent points along the line, a movable part carried by the shell andadapted to impinge upon and be moved by said trips, and means fortransmitting movement from said movable part to theparcel-'holding'device, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means parcel-holding device carried by the shell,and means formoving said device for discharging its contents said means includingtrips arranged at different points along the line, a lever'carried bythe'shell and adapted to impinge upon and be operated by said trips, andmeans for transmitting movement from said lever to the parcel-holdingdevice, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of a movableparcel-holding device carried by the shell and means for moving it fordischarging its contents,said means including trips arranged atdifferent points along the line, a movable part carried by the shell andadapted to impinge upon and be moved by said trips, and gearinginterposed between said movable part andthe parcel-holding device fortransmitting movement from the former to the latter, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting it, of an intermittently-movableparcel-holding device having a number of compartments, and means forintermittently moving it for discharging the contents of itscompartments in succession, said means including trips arranged atdifferent points along the line, a movable part carried by the shell andadapted to impinge upon and be moved by said trips, and meansfortransmitting movement from said movable part to the parcel-holdingdevice, substantially as described.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shell andmeans for supporting and propelling it, of an endless conveyer supportedby the shell and adapted to hold 'a number of parcels, and means formoving said conveyer for discharging the parcels, said means includingtrips arranged at different points along the line, a movable partcarried by the shell and adapted to impinge upon and be moved by saidtrips and means for transmitting movement from said movable part to theconveyer, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of an end lessconveyer supported by the shell and having a number of compartmentsadapted to hold a number of parcels, and means for intermittently movingsaid conveyor for discharging the parcels in succession,said meansincluding trips arranged at different points along the line, a movablepart carried by the shell andadapted to impinge upon and be moved bysaid trips, and means carried by the shell for transmitting movementfrom said movable part from the conveyer, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it of anintermittently-movable endless conveyer carried by the shelland adaptedto hold a number of parcels and means for intermittently moving saidconveyer for discharging the parcels, said 'means including tripsarranged at different points along the line, a lever carried by theshell and adapted to impinge upon and be moved by said trips and gearinginterposed between said lever and the conveyer whereby the movement ofthe lever is transmitted to the conveyer, substantially as described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propellingit, of an endless conveyersupported by the shell and having a number of compartments adapted tohold a number of parcels, means for intermittently moving said conveyerfor discharging the contents of its several compartments in succession,a second parcel-holding device carried by the shell and having a numberof compartments adapted to be brought to register with the compartmentsof the conveyer, and means for discharging the parcels from said secondparcel-holding device into the compartments of the conveyer,substantially as described.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of an endless conveyeradapted to hold a number of parcels, a revoluble drum having pocketsadapted to hold a number of parcels, said drum being arranged inoperative relation to the conveyer and adapted to deliver said parcelsonto the conveyer, and means including trips arranged at dilferentpoints along the line and devices carried by the shell and adapted tocooperate with said trips for operating the conveyer and the drum,whereby the conveyer discharges its parcels at different points alongthe line and whereby the drum dischages its parcels onto the conveyer,substantially as described.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of a movable devicecarried' by the shell and adapted to hold anumber of parcels, a numberof trips arranged at different points along the line, a trip-levercarried by the shell and adapted to be engaged by said trips, aspring-pressed pawl carried by the lever, a ratchet-wheel engaged by thepawl, and means operated by said ratchet -wheel for moving theparcelholding device and thereby discharging the parcels, substantiallyas described.

11. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a suitable shell and means for supporting andpropelling it, of an endless conveyercarried by the shell and havingprojections dividing it into a number of separate sections, each sectionbeing adapted to hold a parcel, and means for intermittently moving theconveyer, said means including a number of trips arranged along the lineand a movable part carried by the shell and adapted to impinge upon andbe moved by said trips, and means for transmitting movement from saidmovable part to the endless conveyer, substantially as described.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of a drum having acircumferential series of pockets, a number of trips arranged atdifferent points along the line and means carried by the shell andadapted to cooperate With said trips for revolving the drum,substantially as described.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of a drum havingpockets arranged in intersecting longitudinal and circumferential rows,and means for revolving the drum, substantially as described.

14. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of an endlessconveyer, a drum having a circumferential row of pockets, a number oftrips arranged along the line, and means carried by the shell andadapted to cooperate with said trips for moving the conveyer anddrum,substantially as described.

15. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of an endlessconveyer, a revoluble drum having pockets arranged in circumferentialand longitudinal rows, the conveyer being arranged directly beneath thedrum and parallel with its axis, means for intermittently moving theconveyer, and means for revolvingthe drum, substantially as described.

16. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, said shell having atits lower side a trough or chute, an endless conveyer arranged in saidtrough or chute,'a drum arranged above said chute or trough and havingpockets, and means for moving the conveyer and drum,substa'ntially asdescribed.

17. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, said shell having atits lower side a trough or chute open at the top, of a conveyer arrangedin said trough, arevoluble drum arranged above said trough and havingpockets,a valve adapted to be placed in position to close the top sideof the chute or trough, and means for moving the conveyer anddrum,substantially as described.

18. In a device of the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of a drum, a number oftrips arranged along the line, a device carried by the shell and adaptedto cooperate with said trips, and gearing for transmitting movement fromsaid device to the drum, said gearing being separable, substantially asdescribed.

19. In a device of' the class described, the combination with a suitableshell and means for supporting and propelling it, of a drum, a shaftsupporting it, a worm-wheel carried by the shaft, a worm engaging thewheel, a shaft carrying said worm, a trip-lever, means for transmittingmovement from the trip-lever to the worm-shaft, and a number of tripsarranged along the line and adapted to cooperate with the trip-lever,substantially as described.

ABRAM D. SWEGLE.

Witnesses:

L. H. JELLIFF,

LE ROY WHARTON.

